Until recently it seemed that humans have been changing the environment for less than 10,000 years. But now, archaeologists are finding evidence that our ancestors started much earlier. Perhaps even 125,000 years ago.
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Humans usually have the feeling that our species has been affecting the environment only recently. But evidence is showing that humans have been changing nature much earlier than we thought. Even new research performed by archaeologists from the Universiteit Leiden shows that even our closest cousins – the neanderthals – changed the environment they lived in. They burned vegetation and created large areas of open fields about 120,000 years ago.
As the research lead – Wil Roebroeks – said, archaeologists have long been concerned with the human’s effect on the environment. With time, they dug deeper and deeper, and now they got to neanderthals. A key role was played by a German lignite mine Neumark-Nord near Halle. Research has been performed here for decades and the experts have gathered a lot of data about neanderthal activity and the environment. They also found remains of hunted animals, many stone tools, and lots of cinders from neanderthal fireplaces.
The findings from the lignite mine tell us that before the neanderthals came forests existed in the area. Actually forests similar to current forests with wild horses, deer, but also elephants, or hyenas. This area existed from Germany to Poland.
When the Neanderthals arrived in this area the environment changed. New areas of open fields appeared. Roebroeks’ team discovered evidence that at least partially the Neanderthals were responsible as they burned down the vegetation. They kept the area open near Neumark-Nord for at least 2,000 years.
This research makes the area in Neumark-Nord the oldest known example of the effects of humans on the environment. Their results are important not only for archaeology but also for environmental protection or rebuilding ecosystems. And there is a good chance that we will find evidence of even older effects of our ancestors on the environment.
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